Hammock



March 27, E A, N R 2,546,350

HAMMOCK Filed Nov. 15, 1948 .BY J

Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAMMOQK Eugene A. Spangler, Los Angeles, Calif. @pplieation November 15, 1948, Serial No. 60,050

5 Claims.

T is nv nt on re ate o n d u e provements in ortable hammock assembly construction.

A main object of the present invention is to provide a hammock construction having legs wherein the legs are swingably mounted so as to be swingable to a folded position and therefrom to an erect position and in which construction there are means for automatically locking the legs when the legs are in erect position.

Another main object of the present invention is to provide in a hammock construction a leg assembly including a supporting bar and two swingably mounted legs in which there are means for automatically locking the legs when the legs move to their erect position and wherein it is only necessary to lift or pick up the supporting bar whereupon the legs automatically mOVe to their erect position where they are locked.

Another main object of the present invention is to provide ,a hammock frame construction having two leg assemblies spaced from one another, wher i each l a mbly includ s a sup rtin her an two swingabl m unt d l s. a d whe t e le s ar olda l so as to 1 de by side wit each ot er a d w th supporting bar an un ldable to an erect os t n W e e h ess a locked- .An her bj e present i ention is to provid a im r ed manner .Q swin b vmount i s ss o a amm k a e- Another Object of the present invention is to provide an improved leg assembly for a hammock frame wherein the legs automatically move to eat posi n wh n a pa t ular pa t o the a SQmbly i lifted.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved hammock.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the ac.- cornpanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Fig 1 discloses ,a perspective view of hammock construction embodying the concepts of the p sent vent Fig. 2 is an enlarged partial sectional view along lines2--2 of F g. .1;

:Fig. .3 is a sectional view along the lines 3-.3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view in section showing the end construction of thehammock; and

-5 is a sectional view along lines 5-5 of Fig. 1.

:Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the portable hammock assembly is shown set up position in Figv 1 wherein sections I0 and II designate a pair of leg assemblies each of which includes a supporting bar I2, the supporting bars being telescopically receivable in the angularly disposed ends of a center supporting bar [4 which is preferably of tubular construction. The supporting bars I 2 are also preferably of tubular construction.

Since the leg assemblies Ill and I! are of identical construction description will be given for only one leg assembly, assembly [0.

Leg assembly I0 includes a cap I 6 providing sid plates .l! and I8 and has an end plate IS. The bar 12 for leg assembly 10 is fixed within the crotch of cap 16 by means of nuts and bolts 20 as canbest b seen in Figs. 2 and 3.

Legs 22 and 23 are provided fer leg assembly I 0 and have adapters 24 and 25 respectively on the upper ends thereof which adapters are fastened to the legs by any suitable means such as rivets 21. These adapters may be bent inwardly at 29 to serve as stops for legs 22 and 23.

The upper end of each adapter 24 and 25 is bifurcated as can best be seen in Fig. 3 and adapter 25 straddles plate 18 and adapter 24 straddles plate I'Tl, there being rivets or pins 30 in the adapters which bear against the edges of plates l1 and It as can best be seen in Fig. 3.

Each of the plates H and [B is provided with an elongated aperture 32 and each adapter 24 and 25 has a pivot pin 33 passing therethrough and through the aperture in the plate for each of the adapters and some means such as cotter pins 34 are provided on pivot pins 33 to hold the pivot pins in place. 7

It will be seen then that the adapters 24 and 25 and pivot pins -33 swingably mount legs 22 and '23 so that the --leg s move along plates l1 and 1 8 and will also permit radial movement with respect to said plates because of the elongation of the apertures 32. Apertures 32 will be elongated in a vertical direction asthe plates 1'] and [8 are depicted in Figs. 2 and 3 and this can best be seen in Fig. 3 and this construction allows radial movement of the legs 22 and 23 as the legs approach erect position. K

Each of the plates l I and 18 provide an arcuate edge 3! in the case of plate I! and 38 in the case of plate 18 along which the adapters 24 and 25 will respectively ride. The arcuate edge 31 and 3B are alsocams over which the pins til must ride in the travel of the legs from their folded position to their erect position and the elongated 3 apertures 32 permit the legs to ride over the cams 3'! and 38.

On the other side of the earns 31 and 38 are slots 40 which receive pins 30 to lock the legs in erect position. Tension springs 43 are connected by one end of each spring to supporting bar l2 and by the other end of each spring to pivot pin 33 and these tension Springs resist movement of the legs outward along apertures 32. However, the springs 43 will permit the legs and pins 30 to ride over cams 31 and 38 and will urge the pins 30 to remain in slots 40 when the pins have snapped into the slots so that the legs are automatically locked in erect position when moved over the cams 31 and 38.

From Fig. 1, it will be seen that legs 22 and 23 will swing when in folded position so as to lie in side by side relationship with each other and also supporting bar I2 but when legs 22 and 23 are in their erect position their lower ends are spaced from one another and also from the outward end of supporting bar [2. The lower ends of legs 22 and 23 may have any suitable feet adapters 45 supplied thereon.

The hammock frame can be erected in the following manner. As before brought out when feet 22 and 23 are in folded position they lie side by side with each other and with supporting bar l2 and it is only necessary to pick up supporting bar 12 at which time the legs 22 and 23 will swing downwardly and by their own Weight carry themselves over earns 31 and 38 against the resistance of springs 53 and so will move to that position where pins 30 will snap into slots A and in that erect position the legs 22 and 23 will also bear against end plate ls which end plate serves as a stop for the legs. When each of the leg assemblies Hi and H has been set up, the center supporting bar or tube I4 is manipulated so that the ends thereof telescope over the ends of supporting bar l2 and center supporting bar or tube l4 has the ends thereof bent, as can be seen in Fig. 2 so that supporting bars l2 may telescope a limited extent into the center supporting bar or tube [4.

A hammock 4'5 of canvas or other suitable material is provided for the hammock frame and has tapes 58 preferably attached to one end thereof the ends of the tapes being doubled around a ring G9 which ring has a chain 53 connected thereto. End plate IQ for both of the leg assemblies ii] and Ii has a key shaped slot shown in the case of end plate I9 for leg assembly [9 provided therein and chain 53 is receivable through the key slot for end plate IQ of leg assembly H where the chain is held in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 3.

The other end of hammock 47 may have a bar 5Q preferably of resilient construction sewed therein and a plurality of slots 55 provided across bar 54 to receive a plurality of straps 51 which straps are fastened at their other ends to a ring 58, said ring having a chain 5?; connected thereto. Chain 53 is receivable through key slot 5| for plate I9 of leg assembly II] as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 wherein the chain is held within the key shaped slot so that the hammock 4'! is supported as shown in Fig. 1.

The canopy assembly to includes a strip of canvas 51 preferably having parallel side edges and having a hem 32 at the ends with a bar 54 such as a light tube extending therethrough. The hem has a cut away section 36 at the center and there are tension springs 69 provided for the canopy which tension springs have hooks on the 4 end thereof to receive fasteners ill and i I, fasteners To being passed around bar 64 and doubled back on itself and fastener H being receivable around the head of the inner bolt 20. Resilient members 75, as shown in Fig. 5, are fastened to the canopy 6! such as by brade H or the like. Resilient members 55 have the ends thereof curved inwardly as shown in Fig. 5 which construction permits the canopy 6i to be moved to a plurality of positions the curved ends of resilient members i5 defining the extremities to which the canopy can be moved. In Fig. 5 the canopy GI is shown in its midposition.

It will be seen then that a portable hammock assembly construction has been provided which may be quickly and easily set up and taken down and wherein there are swingably mounted legs which are automatically locked in erect position requiring no manipulation of the legs by the operator of the assembly since the operator merely picks up the supporting bar whereupon the legs swing to erect position because of their own weight.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a hammock assembly, a pair of legs, means providing a side plate for each leg, the side plates being positioned at an angle with respect to one another, each leg having one of its ends bifurcated and straddling its side plate, means swingably mounting the legs on their side plates permitting movement of the legs along the side plates and also radially with respect to the plates, means urging each leg against an edge of its side plate, the said edges of the side plates being relieved permitting the legs to move thereunto when the legs are unfolded to their erect position to lock the legs in erect position.

2. In a hammock assembly, a pair of legs, a plate for each leg, each leg having one of its ends bifurcated and straddling its plate, means swingably mounting the legs on their plates permitting movement of the legs along the plates and also radially with respect to the plates, means urging each leg against an edge of its plate, the legs being swingable to a folded position and therefrom to an erect position, the edges of the plates being relieved permitting the legs to move thereinto when the legs are unfolded to erect position to lock the legs in erect position, and means positioning the plates with respect to one another so that when the legs are swung to their folded position the legs lie side by side, and when the legs are swung to erect position the legs are positioned in spread fashion.

3. In a hammock assembly, a pair of legs, a plate for each leg, each plate providing an approximately arcuate edge, means swingably mounting the legs on their plates permitting movement of the legs along their respective arcuate edge, said means permitting radial movement of the legs relative to their plates at least adjacent one extreme position of the legs, means urging each leg against the arcuate edge of its plate, the legs being swingable to a folded position and therefrom to said extreme position where the legs are erect, the arcuate edges of the plates being relieved at said one extreme position permitting the legs to move thereinto when the legs are unfolded to their erect position to lock the legs in erect position, and means connecting the plates to one another.

4. In a hammock assembly, a pair of legs, means swingably mounting the legs, means providing a cam for each of the legs in the path of its swinging movement, the legs adapted to be moved over the cams to a locked position, and resilient means resisting movement of legs over their respective cams and operative to urge the legs to remain in locked position.

5. In a hammock assembly, a pair of legs, means swingably mounting the legs, the means allowing movement of the legs traverse to the line of swing, means providing a cam for each of the legs in the path of its swinging movement and a slot beyond each cam, the legs being adapted to be moved over the cams and into the slots to be held thereby, and resilient means resisting movement of the legs over the cams and operative to urge the legs to remain in locked position.

EUGENE A. SPANGLER.

tEFERENCZES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

